From Dusk Till Dawn
by Ghostwriter Redux
Summary: Yūrei is a rarity among shinobi, not only for her virtually extinct bloodline but also for her memory. She can recall nearly everything she's ever seen or heard but is it really a 'gift' as so many people claim? In the shinobi world a 'gift' like that is also a curse and a dangerous one at that for there are some things in the world better left forgotten...Pairing: Shikamaru/OC.
1. Prologue: What Is and What Could Be

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Friends, Masashi Kishimoto does. I don't own the cover photo either. I only own my OC and make no profit from this.

* * *

 _What is and what could be..._

* * *

 _"Dokugami. Is that what they're calling you now?" She berated herself for not sensing his approach, turning to face him. Her old shishou would be rolling in her grave if she found out how easily someone had snuck up on her student._

 _"Something like that," she replied, raking her eyes along his slender frame. She had two explosive tags, six senbon, a still-mending ankle, and half her normal chakra reserves. It was nowhere near the worst state she'd ever been in taking on another shinobi and she'd just have to make due._

 _Not like she had any choice in the matter._

 _She took an unsteady step back to create distance as they began circling one another. Maybe he'd go easy on her for old times sake._

 _"You've gotten quite the reputation, haven't you? Though I've gotta say, it's weird to see you in a frontal combat position. You strike from the shadows, quick and unseen. Most of your opponents don't know they're dead until they hit the ground, frothing at the mouth," he said, nimbly flipping a kunai into his hand._

 _Or maybe not..._

 _"Pot meet kettle," she said. "You guys are right at home in the shadows, ne? Yet you call me a coward."_

 _"I've come to bring you back to Konohagakure, by order of the Sixth Hokage."_

 _She paused at those words, looking at her opponent with wide violet eyes before relaxing. She reached up, the seal on her mask giving way with a faint hiss as she drew it from her face._

 _She could hear his breath catch in his throat in what she assumed was surprise. Not that she could blame him. The last time he had seen her face was when they had gotten intimate after their botched mission to the Land of Caves and that had been nearly three years earlier._

 _"You've changed Yūrei."_

 _"Constant near-death experiences will do that to a girl," she agreed, dropping her gas mask to the ground with a soft thump as a light violet mist appeared before her lips._

 _"That's not what I meant-."_

 _"I know damn good and well that's not what you meant," she snapped before inhaling deeply. She wouldn't let him get under her skin. Not now._

 _"I'm bringing you home." Yūrei's lips curved into a malevolent smile as she made sure to flash the sharp spider-like fangs she sported. His eyes narrowed dangerously when she rested a deceptively dainty hand on her hip. She pulled a deep breath of cool air into her lungs, and focused every sinew and nerve of her body. She had already made her bed. All that was left to do now was lie in it._

 _"Talk is cheap. Let's see what you've got, huh Shika-kun...?"_

* * *

Teaser. This is a byproduct of reading too much fanfiction this weekend (I know what you're saying 'there's no such thing' and I would agree if I hadn't spent half my day off reading it). I'm trying to branch away from the self-inserts I've been writing (so I write another OC *snorts in disbelief*. I'm trying okay guys?) I like reading about original clans in the Naruto world instead of the usual families so this is my attempt at one. It's Shikamaru/OC because out of all the rookies (aside from Lee) I find him the most tolerable. This will be bumped up to 'M' eventually but not for a while. I'll let you know when. This story will contain:

-Gore

-Violence

-Sexual Content (in the far distant future)

-Language

-Mature content in general

So if any of this isn't your cup of tea then I would advise you avoid this story. But thank you for reading this teaser. Cheers.


	2. One

A/N: Thanks to those that have favorited/followed this. Y'all are aweshum. And thank you king of nightmares and dragons for reviewing though this won't be a vampire-like story. I completely forgot that it was the name of a movie *nervous laugh* -_- I chose the title for a different reason actually. Onwards.

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Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto Neji would still be alive. Can we just leave it at that? No? Fine. Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto. I own Yūrei and her batty family and make no profit from this.

* * *

"-and exhale." Yūrei yawned widely. She squinted against the rising sun as it bathed the back porch in a lukewarm glow and was unable to keep from yawning once more.

"Why are you so tired, Rei-chan?" Yūrei rubbed at her eyes sleepily, stretching her arms over her head. She glanced over blearily to her grandmother kneeling on the tatami mat beside her.

"I was up late last night reading. Papa gave me a new textbook on basic chakra manipulation. He said it's stupid that the Academy waits until the last two years or so to teach their students any jutsu and that's why Konoha has the highest genin mortality rates of any Hidden Village," Yūrei said, stretching her legs out before her and resting her forehead on her knees. "Most kids who become Genin are clan kids anyways. He said civvies don't usually make the cut since they don't have the training we do from day one."

Her grandmother's eyes widened a fraction at Yūrei's speech. Some days she forgot just how intelligent her granddaughter was. "I see. Then why did you not just stay in bed? I would not have been upset."

"Baa-chan, I've been doing yoga with you almost every morning since I could walk," Yūrei said with a small smile. "It's tradition and we all know how big you are on tradition."

Kosame Itou gave her granddaughter a sour look that had her cringing. Sixty-eight years old and she could still produce a menacing glare that could cause even a powerful shinobi like Yūrei's father to wither under its intensity.

"If you are tired you should sleep. You have the entrance exam to the Ninja Academy tomorrow, yes?"

"I know baa-chan, I'll take a nap later on after I go grocery shopping."

"I can take care of the shopping-."

"I don't want you carrying-."

"I am perfectly capable of going to the market alone, Yūrei ."

Yūrei cringed once more at the scolding, looking down at her lap. Sometimes she forgot how powerful her grandmother was, with how frail and old she looked. She had earned her S-rank status when she lived in Amegakure with the rest of their clan before moving to Konoha with Yūrei's grandfather.

She didn't have a doubt that her grandmother could still whip out some amazing jutsu if anyone messed with her and they were safe within the walls of the village but Yūrei couldn't help but worry about her. It was in her nature to worry about others though her papa assured her he would beat it out of her during training when she was older.

She wasn't looking forward to that.

"Since that is settled," her grandmother began, rising to her feet. "I believe it is time for your resistance training, yes? It will be a .3 ml dosage this time."

Yūrei winced, arms automatically coming around her stomach protectively.

"You will be fine. Your blood contains antibodies for fighting off most poisons already because of our kekkei genkai. A .3 ml dose should not do much damage."

"That's what you always say," Yūrei whined, wincing at the glare her grandmother gave her.

"You will thank me for this when you are older and get nicked by a poisoned kunai," her grandmother said seriously as the young girl's shoulders slumped in despair. "Today's pain is tomorrow's power."

"You always say that too," she grumbled sourly, climbing to her feet and rolling up the mats. She tucked them beneath her arm and shuffled into the house after her grandmother.

* * *

"Control your breathing."

Yūrei simply grunted in response, body convulsing every few moments as she lay curled in the fetal position. It felt as though fire was licking at the walls of her abdomen, the feeling spreading outwards quickly to her limbs. She felt completely helpless, especially with the way her grandmother continued circling her prone form, looking every bit the formidable kunoichi she had been once upon a time.

"Itou are assassins. That is why our weapon of choice is poison. With the right poison and right dose you can do anything from giving your target a mild stomachache or have them dead in less than a minute, foaming at the mouth. It is versatile, it is discrete, and it is deadly. The perfect assassination tool."

The dark-haired girl nodded as much as her stiff neck would allow, curling in on herself a little bit more with a pitiful whimper and hating herself as drool crawled down her chin onto her shirt.

How embarrassing.

"Ignore the pain. It is nothing but a warning signal from a set of wires that run through the body. Focus on the body. The body is what will help you escape, not the pain."

Several long, agonizing minutes passed before the nausea finally abated enough to allow Yūrei to climb unsteadily to her feet.

"Very good Yūrei. You knocked a minute off your recovery time. I am proud of you."

"T-t-thank y-you," Yūrei managed to say throatily, body still trembling from the aftereffects of the poison as she wiped her jaw with her sleeve.

"Remember; poison is in everything and no thing is without poison. The dosage is what makes it a poison or a remedy*."

"I underst-st-stand," she said, teeth chattering violently.

"Now then, go wash up and get some rest."

"Yes b-baa-chan."

"Good girl."

* * *

They left the next morning for the Academy around ten. The house they lived in sat in the more remote part of Konohagakure. It was a large village, housing several powerful clans such as the Hyuuga, Uchiha, Akimichi, and Aburame. Yūrei liked living out towards the forested area, it meant less interaction with people.

She didn't consider herself anti-social, just shy, though you couldn't really blame her. With the constant looks of bewilderment and surprise the civilians gave her when they saw the gas mask covering half her face it was no wonder she was that way. Shinobi usually didn't spare her more than a passing glance but even then those glances were cautious ones. It was unusual to see a citizen of Konohagakure wearing such an apparatus, more commonly associated with people from Ame. The only place she didn't wear one was at home where her family wasn't in danger of falling ill whenever she exhaled. So far as she knew only her grandmother and father knew the remedy to the poison their bodies produced.

' _A power play_ ,' her father had told her when he fitted her for her first mask at three years of age when she began showing signs of possessing their bloodline. ' _We are the only ones who possess an antidote to the poison our bodies produce, through our blood and breath. The less who know, the better.'_

Having been born into a family of assassins Yūrei knew that 'knowledge equated power'. Nearly eighty percent of a battle was planning, the other twenty percent was execution. Not that she figured she'd ever be in a full-scale battle, especially not during her genin years. Her skill set would be more suited for what the grownups called 'Wet Work'. Once she made chunin her kekkei genkai could easily boost her to special jonin and from there ANBU Assassination Corps.

Her grandmother was a bit concerned that Yūrei was already thinking about a career in Black Ops but then remembered she herself was leading armies when she was thirteen and dropped the subject.

Speaking of which-

Yūrei glanced up at her grandmother, holding her hand just a little bit tighter when they reached the village proper. Already a few grownups were tossing strange looks her way and she stared down at her feet, feeling her cheeks burn in embarrassment. Her father was unable to walk with her that morning, having left for a mission that morning before she woke up but he did make her lunch.

She wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to eat it or not. The man really needed to learn to stick to the shinobi arts rather than the culinary ones.

From what she had heard her mother had been quite the cook, not that Yūrei even remembered what she looked like. She had been killed during the Kyuubi attack when Yūrei was only a few months old. She had photographs to look at, yes, but it was a poor substitute for the real thing.

"When does the entrance ceremony begin Rei-chan?" The young girl looked up at her grandmother once more when she spoke.

"It begins at ten-thirty. It will last anywhere from ten to twenty minutes and from there we will fill out our application forms, break for a short lunch, and then take the entrance exam at noon."

"What does the exam consist of?" Yūrei managed a tiny smile of gratitude, realizing her grandmother was trying to distract her.

"The written exam is general studies though the questions are more difficult than what the average six year old should be able to answer. Otou-san said it's how they separate the 'wheat from the chaff', whatever that means," Yūrei scrunched her nose up in confusion.

"And after that?"

"The practical as-asses-?" she fumbled for the correct word, looking up at her grandmother for clarification.

"Assessment."

"Yeah, that. The practical part is divided into three parts too; taijutsu, ninjutsu, and bukijutsu. You have to average a seventy-five percent or higher between both tests to be accepted," Yūrei finished her speech just as they came to a stop before the Academy gates.

"My clever girl," Yūrei beamed at the praise as her grandmother ruffled her hair lovingly. "Do you have your lunch?" Yūrei held up the bento wrapped neatly in a blue kerchief. "I cannot accompany you past this point. I will be here at four pm to walk you home."

"Yes baa-chan," Yūrei said timidly, looking over her shoulder at the group of children that had amassed before the Academy. She picked out several clan children if only because of the symbols stitched into their clothes and smiled brightly when she made spotted one of her friends.

Clutching her lunch to her chest Yūrei trotted over to where Shino Aburame was kneeling beside a stone bench.

"Hi Shino," she greeted him, violet eyes crinkling at the corners as she smiled.

"Hi Yūrei," he replied quietly, not standing from his crouch. She knelt beside him, seeing a small butterfly struggling in a spider web it had been caught in.

"Are you going to help it?" she asked quietly, reaching a finger towards the web tentatively before he placed his hand on hers and pushed it away gently.

"No," Shino surprised her when he said that. "In doing so the spider's home will be destroyed."

Yūrei frowned at that, glancing down at her hands before looking at the web once more.

"What if I just-," she trailed off, reaching forward and ever so gently slipped a chakra-coated fingertip beneath the butterfly's legs. The Itou girl lifted her hand slowly from the web, leaving it unbroken and the butterfly safe on her hand.

"I did it Shino," she whispered excitedly, allowing her chakra to dissipate slowly as the butterfly took flight.

"Wow. That was cool," he breathed as the butterfly fluttered around the pair. "Did Raiden-san teach you that?"

"Nope. I've been reading about chakra exercises and decided to try one out," she smiled brightly beneath her mask as they watched the butterfly circle higher and higher-

-only to immediately be eaten by a rambunctious ninken running around the courtyard.

Yūrei gripped the fabric covering her thighs tightly, glaring harshly at the Inuzuka that came jogging over.

"Akamaru, don't run off like that," he scolded the pup gently, scooping it into his arms as it began lathering his face with slobbery kisses. "H-hey! C-cut it out!"

Yūrei cast a sideways glance at Shino. Though most of his face was obscured by the high collar of his jacket she could read in his body language both annoyance and gloom. Yūrei knew it wasn't the puppy's fault and blamed the Inuzuka for letting him run wild.

"You should keep a closer eye on your ninken," she settled on saying, brushing her pants off as she stood. "He could have hurt somebody."

"Nuh-uh!" the Inuzuka snapped, immediately going on the defensive. "Akamaru wouldn't hurt a fly."

Yūrei resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the irony of his statement and rested her hands on her hips. "Some people here could be afraid of dogs."

He snorted, setting Akamaru on the ground by his feet. "Yeah right. Who'd be afraid of dogs?" He folded his arms over his chest, another defensive gesture, before giving her and Shino a good long look. "Hey, I know you." He exclaimed suddenly, pointing to Shino. "Your family is the one with the creepy bugs, right?"

"…," Shino remained quiet, standing fluidly in a way only ninja could before starting off towards the building with his hands tucked into his pockets.

She frowned, watching his retreating back before rounding on the Inuzuka. "You're a real bully, you know that?"

"How am I a bully? I just asked him a question," the boy scoffed. "What's with the mask anyways? You look like a weirdo."

"Case in point," she sniffed haughtily, turning on her heel. "Shino! Wait up!"

"Why do you hang out with him? He's weird," the Inuzuka called after her.

"So am I, remember?" she yelled back over her shoulder, seeing him flinch slightly before entering the building with her friend.

* * *

The written test was easier than she thought it would be. The only part of the written test she really struggled with was the mathematics portion. It was something she had to work on, seeing as how an Itou used math in order to figure out dosages for both poisons and antidotes.

The physical test was just as simple. They had to complete a mile run in less than ten minutes (she cleared it in six), demonstrate a basic understanding of taijutsu in a supervised spar with a genin (Yūrei had her opponent pinned in an arm bar two minutes in. It wasn't her fault he didn't take her seriously), show the proctors they can manipulate chakra (she used a basic iryō-ninjutsu almost every ninja knew to soothe her opponent's sore neck), and demonstrate that they could throw a kunai properly (she hit the target, that was all she cared about. Some of the kids couldn't manage that).

The day was still very trying and she could barely muster the energy to be excited to see her papa when he came to walk her home instead of her grandmother. He scooped her into a big bear hug, blowing raspberries on her neck as she shrieked in laughter.

"Stop it papa!" she giggled, rubbing her eyes tiredly as she crawled onto his back for a piggyback ride.

"So? What did you think of the test?" he asked, careful not to jostle her as they walked home.

"S'okay," she mumbled into the back of his flak jacket. "I used the ninjutsu baa-chan taught me to help the genin I fought. You know? The one she calls 'ice pack no jutsu'?"

Her father snorted at that, rolling his eyes at his mother in law's antics. "That's why you're so tired. You probably used most of your chakra reserves doing it. You should be more careful. What happens if you use too much chakra?"

Yūrei groaned in annoyance. "I already had a test today papa. I don't want anymore."

"What happens during chakra exhaustion?"

"Chakra is the excess of spiritual and physical energy your body has that it doesn't need to keep running. When your chakra reserves run out your body begins pulling chakra from your skeletal muscles, then your organs, and then-," she trailed off.

"And then?" he urged her on.

"You die," she finished quietly, hugging him closer and resting her head on his shoulder.

"It's a hard thing to think about but it does happen. I just want you to be careful. When you become a genin never ingest more than two soldier pills in one day, eight hours apart at the very least. They replenish your reserves to their base level but don't increase it. You can take more when you get older and have larger pools to pull from."

"Yes Papa."

"What say we head over to the restaurant district and get some take out? We'll bring your grandmother home some as well."

"Barbeque?" she supplied hopefully.

"Akimichi barbeque," he said with a small smile. Yūrei hummed her agreement quietly, mirroring his grin.

"Even better."

* * *

Going back over this I realize that Yūrei sounds rather…I don't know. She doesn't talk like a normal five/six year old but I can attribute that to her being raised in the shinobi lifestyle, right? (I don't have any younger siblings/cousins/nieces/nephews so I don't really know how young children talk). This will probably be slow for the next two or three chapters at the most to get through her academy days but they won't be dull. Maybe a chapter for every two years she spends since she'll be there for six? I took creative liberty with the entrance exam as well since I figured they don't let just anybody become a ninja, right?

I haven't decided what team to place her on either. I thought about Team 7 but it's so overdone. I mean, there's only so many times I can read about that damn bell test and 4-man squads are pointless. What do you think? I'm thinking about an OC-squad made of specialists, or perhaps an apprenticeship? Opinions are certainly welcomed. Thanks for reading my ducklings.

*I can't take credit for this line. It was spoken by Paracelsus.


	3. Two

A/N: Major thank you to king of nightmares and dragons, wajagirlliz, and lady candace for reviewing. Thanks to everyone else who has favorited/followed this. See you at the bottom.

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Disclaimer: Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my OC's and make no profit from this.

* * *

"Papa! Papa look!"

"What's up?"

"Look!"

"That's great Rei-chan."

"You're not looking," Yūrei whined, stomping her foot childishly as she brandished the letter his way, almost knocking a beaker off the counter in her haste to do so.

"Careful Yūrei," he scolded her, turning from his work and lifting her onto his lap. "What's up?"

"I got accepted!" she informed him with a huge grin.

"Is that it?" Her lower lip quivered while her arms fell to her sides. "I'm just kidding Yūrei. I knew you were going to be accepted. I'm so proud of you." He gathered her into a tight hug as she squirmed in his grasp.

"Papa! I c-can't breathe-!" she choked out weakly. He chuckled softly, letting her slide off his lap onto the floor.

"You know what this means, right?" She cocked her head to the side in confusion. "You don't remember?"

Yūrei scowled at that. "Of course I remember. I remember everything, remember? But I don't remember things you haven't told me."

He laughed at that, seeing her rest her hands on her hips and glare at him in an eerie imitation of his late wife. "You get to craft your first poison."

"I do!?"

"Yup." Yūrei was beside herself with excitement at that point.

"What are we gonna make papa!?" she asked eagerly, bouncing on her toes and clapping her hands together.

"We have to go to the greenhouse to collect our materials first. Bring the basket, would you?"

"Yes!"

* * *

"We're going to make a basic poison named Toku. It's used as a truth serum-."

"I thought you said truth serums don't work?" Yūrei asked as they walked between the rows of the greenhouse.

"They don't," he agreed, pausing to water a tray of doll's eyes before continuing. "This is something that has a calming effect on the victim, making them more susceptible to suggestions."

Yūrei nodded in understanding, "What do we need to make it?" she asked, pulling on a pair of gloves.

"Two things; wort and pinyang."

He handed her a small pair of clippers and she carefully snipped a few leaves off each plant, placing them in the basket.

"Pinyang contains an alkaloid like nicotine which causes a mild and subtle high on your victim. The wort reduces the production of the noticeable red saliva pinyang produces so your victim doesn't become nauseated as well as being an antidepressant which adds to the effect of the pinyang. You must use it in small quantities as too much will cause your victim to become addicted to it."

"What do we have to do next?" she questioned, picking up the basket and following him out of the greenhouse.

"You must crush the leaves of both into a fine powder though use separate mortars and pestles for each. The recipe is two parts wort to one part pinyang."

"Okay," Yūrei said excitedly, rubbing her thumb over one of the shiny leaves. "What do you usually add it to?"

"Hm? It depends on what your target is drinking. I've found tea works rather well but it has the tiniest metallic aftertaste. Alcohol is your best option, particularly those with 15% or higher ABV like sake, simply because the ethanol covers up the aftertaste."

"What's the best way to get it in a drink?"

"Hm? Oh, that's another lesson for another time." Yūrei pouted beneath the cloth mask she was wearing but knew better than to argue with him. "C'mon Rei-chan, let's get mixing."

* * *

Yūrei was starting the academy in a week and as such her grandmother decided she needed a new wardrobe.

"I don't need any new clothes baa-chan."

"Yes you do. It is tradition."

"If you say so," Yūrei replied, knowing better than to argue and followed her grandmother through the bazaar.

"You will not need anything heavy-duty until your genin years. It just needs to be durable and weather-proof. No armor or wire mesh just yet."

"What did you have in mind?"

Her grandmother paused before a small store. "Miho Asakura runs this one. Best place in the village for ninja clothing. Come. Let us get you fitted. I have to run by the apothecary when we are finished and check inventory."

"Question."

"Mm?"

"Papa told me that when I became a genin I wouldn't have to wear this anymore," Yūrei said, tapping her bulky gas mask. "Is that true?"

"Of course it is. You do not see your father or myself wearing one do you?"

"W-well, no. How do you do it?"

"Fūinjutsu."

"Seals?" she echoed, her grandmother ushering her into the store and began perusing the racks of clothing. "Is that even possible?"

"Virtually anything is possible with seals," her grandmother replied. "That's what makes fūinjutsu masters so dangerous."

Yūrei thought fūinjutsu was really neat but it looked so complicated and took so long to learn as well. She was better off keeping to her family's typical skill set though she knew her papa was going to teach her storage seals at some point.

That and she didn't have the attention span to sit through hours of calligraphy lessons every day.

"Kosame-sama!" Yūrei glanced up when a violet-haired woman addressed her grandmother. "You've been well?"

"Well enough Asakura-san," her grandmother chuckled, embracing the shopkeeper in a friendly hug. "My granddaughter will begin attending the academy and we need to get her some new clothing."

"Of course. What did you have in mind? Qipao? Fighting kimono?"

"Oh heaven's no," her grandmother laughed, resting a hand on Yūrei's head. "Yūrei prefers clothing she can move freely in. Maybe when she is older. Is that alright with you?"

"Yes baa-chan," the violet-eyed girl said, nodding several times in agreement.

"Let me get some measurements and we'll go from there."

* * *

After an hour or so of deliberating Yūrei finally settled on a uniform that would see her through most of her academy years.

"I like it," Miho said, resting her hands on her hips as she finished pinning Yūrei's pants.

"As do I," her grandmother agreed. Yūrei turned back to the full-length mirror, doing a little half-spin to examine herself.

She had chosen charcoal gray capris that would be cropped up just below her knees that had a deep cargo pocket on the left side so her right leg would be free for her kunai holster. Her undershirt was long sleeved and black in color. To top it off was a light purple jacket the color of belladonna, one of Yūrei's favorite poisons. The front hem reached her waist while the back flared out artfully to her knees like a tailcoat of sorts.

"Clan symbol on the shoulders?"

"In white, if it is no trouble."

"Of course not. Oleander, correct?"

"Yup," Yūrei exclaimed excitedly as she beamed happily beneath her mask. She looked so grown up and couldn't wait to start her official ninja training.

"When do you begin class?" Miho asked as Yūrei ducked behind the shoji screen, carefully removing the hemmed clothing and redressing in her original outfit.

"In a week."

"I will have everything finished before then," she announced, smiling warmly. "My daughter begins this year as well. Her name is Ami. Maybe you two will be in the same class."

"Maybe," Yūrei replied shyly, scuffing the toe of her sandal into the floor. She wasn't that good at making friends because she was so quiet. She hoped being in the academy would give her some confidence.

"Oh, you'll be fine honey," the shopkeeper reassured her. "Make a few good friends and keep them close. You don't have to be friends with or like everyone. Just be your adorable, sweet self and you'll be just fine."

Yūrei's cheeks burned beneath her mask and she looked to the ground once more. It was weird being called 'sweet' and 'adorable' by people other than her family.

"I'll have everything done in a few days. I have a few last-minute orders to complete first but I'll make sure you have your spiffy new outfit for the first day, okay?"

"Thank you Asakura-san," Yūrei bowed politely. Her grandmother and Miho exchanged a few more words, mostly about payment, before bidding each other goodbye for the time being.

"Now then," her grandmother said as they left the shop. "I must go check in on Senri-kun and make sure he has not burned the store down."

"Baa-chan," Yūrei admonished her. "Senri-san is a good man, even if he is a bit…scatterbrained sometimes. Even though he isn't very good with people he is really good at keeping records."

Her grandmother merely grunted in response, weaving her way through the crowd effortlessly while Yūrei struggled to keep up, losing sight of her grandmother.

"Uh oh," she muttered, standing on her tiptoes and looking around the crowded streets. She knew where the apothecary was but she wasn't sure how to get to it from her current position and she had only just begun her chakra sensing lessons so that was a no-go as well.

"Are you okay?" Yūrei glanced over her shoulder, eyes landing on a Jounin Commander by the name of Shikaku Nara. Though his posture was slouched and his hands were in his pockets Yūrei knew he was capable of exploding into motion from a complete standstill.

"Yes Nara-san," she bowed respectfully before straightening. "I can't find my baa-chan though. Do you know how to get to the apothecary from here?"

"Are you Kosame's granddaughter?" he asked and she nodded. "You look alike, same eyes."

Her eyebrows rose in confusion. "But her eyes are gray-."

"That's not what I meant. I mean you both have a powerful gaze, like you're not really looking at someone so much as looking through them."

"Is that a good thing?" Yūrei asked, unsure of what he meant by that.

"Good intimidation factor. You'll be thankful for it when you're older," he informed her. "If you want I can show you the way. I have to pick up some groceries over that way anyways."

"Thank you Nara-san."

* * *

It was only a two block walk and it was spent in relative silence. Yūrei only knew of the brilliant Commander by name and reputation. He was heralded as a tactical genius and from what she understood he was not someone you wanted as your enemy.

Then again, you didn't want any Jounin as your enemy, genius or not…

"There it is," he pointed out the shop and the raven-haired girl could see her grandmother sweeping the front walk.

"Baa-chan!" she called out, running across the street and winding her arms around her grandmother's waist.

"Where have you been Yūrei?"

"I lost you in the crowd," she said, humming a bit when her grandmother ran a hand through her hair, patting her on the back. "Nara-san was nice enough to show me the way."

"Thank you Shikaku."

He shrugged. "It wasn't a problem. I was heading this way anyways."

"It was kind of you regardless. Will your son be starting this year?"

"Yeah. Yoshino is making him," Shikaku sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "He'd rather be at home sleeping all day. I would allow him to attend civilian school but it'd be too easy for him. He needs something to challenge him."

"Understandable. If you ever need anything do not hesitate to ask."

"So if I were to ask you about the antidote to your kekkei genkai Kosame-san?"

"You would receive a stern 'no' Shikaku-kun," she replied sassily, resting a hand on her hip and giving him a hard look.

He smiled slightly, holding up his hands before himself defensively. "Maa, I know better than to press my luck. Maybe next year?"

"What is it that the children say? 'Dream on' or something like that?"

"Something like that," he agreed, winking playfully at Yūrei who giggled a bit at the grown-ups banter. "Have a good one you two."

"You as well," her grandmother replied with a smile as he used a shunshin and vanished from sight. "If there was anyone I would want you to have as a sensei it would be him. Pity he no longer teaches genin."

"Who would you want me to have as a teacher, if you had a choice?" Yūrei asked, walking into the store behind the older woman and inhaling the scent of sandalwood incense with a pleased sigh.

"No one. I would rather you had an apprenticeship."

Yūrei resisted the urge to roll her eyes, hopping up onto the stool behind the counter. "Okay, then who would you want me apprenticed to?"

"If I had the choice? Inago Aburame but she has not accepted an apprentice for many years."

"Mm," Yūrei hummed in disinterest, beginning to play cat's cradle with a small length of ninja wire she had found under the counter.

"I would not mind you being on a team with Shikaku-kun's son though his team has already been predetermined by the village."

"That sucks," Yūrei replied, resting her hands in her lap and glancing down at her pocket in surprise when she heard a piece of paper rustle in it. She withdrew it, smoothing it open and realizing it was a note from Shikaku-san asking for the remedy to their poison.

"He is very per-presistent?"

"Persistent," her grandmother corrected her, taking the note and incinerating it with a basic fire jutsu as the remains crumbled to the floor in a pile of ash. "Just remember Yūrei, a motivated Nara is a dangerous one."

"I'll keep that in mind," she giggled though it would be nearly six years before she understood how true that statement was…

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Long time between updates *buries head in sand*. Been very busy with school and work which means I don't have hardly any time for writing at the moment as they both come first unfortunately. If you're still reading this, thank you for sticking with me and if you're not, well, I guess this doesn't apply *shrugs*. Thanks for reading. Feel free to let me know what you thought. Still wondering what team to put her on though people are leaning towards an apprenticeship. Sorry for any grammar errors as I am currently getting over a cold and I only skimmed this. Cheers.


	4. Three

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, savvy? Good.

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"My name is Midori Hino. I will be your teacher for these first two years. Why don't we go around the room and introduce ourselves? Basic stuff; name, favorite color, hobbies, and what you hope to accomplish as a ninja."

Yūrei stifled a groan of annoyance, slumping down in her seat in the vain hope that the teacher would overlook her. She had chosen a seat at the very back of the room in the middle so she could see everyone around her like her papa had advised her to.

"We'll start with you in the mask. Yes, I see you back there. Try not to make it so obvious next time." The heat rose in her cheeks when Midori-sensei addressed her and she sat up a smidge straighter.

"My name is-."

"Stand up please."

Swallowing tightly Yūrei did as she was asked, glancing down at her doodle filled notebook before looking up. "My name is Yūrei Itou."

Midori-sensei arched a brow, making a 'continue' motion with her hand.

"I-I like taking care of plants and helping my baa-chan at her store. Um-," she stammered, racking her brain for anything else to say. "My favorite color is purple and I want to become a member of ANBU's assassination corps when I'm older."

"O-oh? W-well then," Midori-sensei laughed uneasily when her eyes met Yūrei's. "That's quite a dream to have, Yūrei-chan. Next please." Yūrei felt an odd twinge of pride at knowing she made her teacher uncomfortable. It was empowering.

The rest of the introductions went by uneventfully. There were many clan children in her class and very few civilian, which wasn't surprising given what her papa had said about them not succeeding.

She wondered if it was because the teachers didn't want to take the time to teach them something clan kids had been learning about since before they could walk. It was kinda sad, really.

Yūrei recognized kids from the Four Clans as well as a few minor ones. She was seated next to a civilian boy named Isamu Honda and a girl from the Uchiha clan named Shiori.

Once introductions were finished Midori-sensei began handing out information packets that contained the syllabus as well as a list of supplies they needed for their first year. She also gave them some time to mingle with one another while she began writing out the lesson plan on the blackboard.

Yūrei swallowed tightly, glancing covertly from left to right. She really hated being so shy but her papa had assured her that training as a kunoichi would give her confidence and he _never_ lied. The other students had slowly begun speaking to one another but her table partners seemed as intent on ignoring her as she was ignoring them.

Fully aware that her mask tended to made people uncomfortable Yūrei decided to be the first to speak up. She decided to start with Isamu who was looking paler the more he flipped through the paperwork Midori-sensei had given them.

It took her three tries to get the words out and properly introduce herself. "H-hi. My name's Yūrei. You're Isamu-san, right?"

He looked up in surprise at being addressed, clutching the papers to his chest with a white-knuckled grip. His mouth moved but no sound came out aside from a very feeble 'y-y-yes'.

"It's nice to meet you," she replied, eyes crinkling at the corners to indicate she was smiling beneath her mask. Isamu simply nodded, turning his attention back to his packet.

Feeling rather proud of herself Yūrei rotated in her chair, mentally preparing herself to speak with the Uchiha. "Hi. My name's Yūrei-."

"Hi," Shiori stated flatly, continuing to play cat's cradle with a length of ninja wire she had produced from her backpack and turned her back to Yūrei. Yūrei blinked once, twice. A timid laugh elicited from the violet-eyed girl though she made no further attempt to converse with Shiori and instead turned back to Isamu.

"Are either one of your parents ninjas?"

"I-I don't h-have any parents."

Yūrei cringed, ducking her head and hating herself for her severe social faux pas. She should've known better then to ask, especially after what had happened six years earlier when the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked the village.

"I-I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to-."

"You d-didn't know. M-my mother was a n-ninja. O-one of the Y-Yondaime's guards." His chest seemed to puff out with pride and Yūrei couldn't resist smiling.

"So you're gonna be just as awesome as she was?"

"I hope so," Isamu said, giving her a tiny smile for the first time that day before his face adopted a more neutral expression. "What do you wanna specialize in?"

"Hm? Oh, I've been studying poisons and toxins since I was little so there's that. Then probably bukijutsu and genjutsu. What about you?"

"I dunno," he muttered, the tips of his ears turning red as he avoided her gaze. "I-I thought about maybe iryō-ninjutsu but I don't know."

"That's really neat."

"You think so?" Isamu glanced over at her hopefully before his shoulders slumped a bit. "Everyone says it's for girls."

Yūrei pursed her lips in annoyance. "That's dumb. I know there are a bunch of boy medics and doctors at the hospital. If it makes you happy I say go for it."

He smiled once more, ducking his head almost sheepishly. "I want to be Chief of the Medical Corps when I'm older. I plan on getting experience as a field-medic before then so I know how to treat all different sorts of injuries."

"That sounds like a good idea," she agreed with a smile before Midori-sensei got their attention.

"Okay everyone. We're going to get started on our lesson. Turn to the last page of the syllabus," she said, waiting for them to comply. "It's a scavenger hunt. I want you to get into groups of three. Everything can be found in the Academy with the exception of two items that will be found outside on the grounds. You have until lunchtime to complete it. You may use any resources you have at your disposal."

Yūrei glanced over at Isamu who simply nodded with a smile before turning her attention to Shiori. "Do you want to be on our team Shirori-san?"

The Uchiha heaved a small sigh, looping the ninja wire around her wrist before turning to face Yūrei. "Sure. Just don't slow me down."

Yūrei almost rolled her eyes in annoyance at the other girl's attitude but instead managed a cheery, "Great!"

Isamu handed Yūrei a pencil which she tucked back into her ponytail for safe keeping. "Are you ready?"

"Yup."

"I guess."

"Oh, and by the way," Midori-sensei called when everyone began rising hesitantly from their seats. "Whichever team finishes their hunt first will receive a special little treat for doing so."

Her words seemed to light a fire under everyone's butts as the wannabe-ninjas began scrambling for the exit. Yūrei rolled her eyes before directing her gaze at the paper.

"Um, guys?"

"What is it?" Shiori asked, resting a hand on her hip and cocking a brow questioningly.

"It's all in code," Isamu stuttered, looking at the paper over Yūrei's shoulder.

"It's our first day of class and they expect us to be able to do this?" Shiori grumbled, pouting a bit. "My father didn't mention this."

"It's a test," Isamu replied, sitting beside Yūrei once more. "It's how they'll separate those with potential from those without." Isamu dug through his bag and laid a notebook on the table.

"You know about ciphers?" Shiori asked, resting her elbows on the table and looking at the page upside down.

"A little bit."

"You think you can crack it?" she asked, hopping up on the desk and sitting seiza-style.

"Maybe," he shrugged, beginning to write out the alphabet at the top of the page. "I think it's a substitution cipher so this shouldn't be too hard."

The Uchiha made a soft chuffing noise, almost like a timid laugh. "That's-that's kinda cool."

"You think?" Isamu stammered, the tips of his ears going bright red in embarrassment.

"Mmhm," Shiori nodded, a bit of pink coloring her cheeks as she glanced away. Yūrei bit her lip to stifle a giggle, instead scooting closer to Isamu on the bench.

"Let's do this."

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Yes I've been gone forever. I do apologize but I have a wedding I'm currently planning so...yeah. Hope you enjoyed (if anyone still reads this). Thanks for reading.


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